Room At The Inn
by Hallow Avengence
Summary: Room At The Inn - mark 2! Maddy and Linden get a little closer... Maddy/Linden. Maddy/Sam friendship. Rated T to be safe...!
1. Chapter 1

**Yup...so this is Room At The Inn - mark 2, because I re-read the original and decided it was awful! Erm hopefully I'll get round to updating it soon - sorry if I don't XD **

**So enjoy - and PLEASE review! **

**Hallow X**

Maddy glared openly at the TV. "AW! Come on – what a fix! Jessie so should have won!" She clicked the remote indignantly and the screen blacked out. "Bloody public."

The young doctor slid from her sofa, still grumbling and ramming her small feet into her fluffy slippers, shuffled into the kitchen.

Sighing, she refilled the kettle and lent her weight against the counter top. Nothing seemed to be going right at the moment, forced with the realisation that she was still very much in love with Dan, her cosy life suddenly seemed a whole lot less colourful. Not only that but she'd completely embarrassed herself by spending virtually a whole day crying to Kyla and to of all people Linden Cullen.

Torn away from her thoughts by the shrilling of her door bell, she jumped and scolded herself on the hot kettle. "Damn. Damn. Damn…Sam?"

Through the small window in her porch, the young doctor could just make out Sam Stracen on the other side, staring dolefully at her through the glass and waving a bottle of wine enticingly under his chin.

"Sam?"

"Surprise!" Came the muffled reply through the door.

"Hold on a sec'!" After fumbling furiously with the lock for a couple of moments, which seemed to be designed to keep people in rather than out, she pulled it open to reveal her slightly intoxicated friend on the other side.

"What are you doing here?"

Sam shrugged. "Can't I come and see my best colleague every now and again?"

"Aren't you looking after Grace tonight?" Frowning, Maddy lent forward and the recoiled when the strong smell of whiskey meeting her nostrils.

"Are you going to let me in then?" Sighing, Maddy shuffled aside allowing him to wobble past her.

For a second they were both silent except for the occasional dramatic sniff from Sam who was staring dejectedly at the worn rug beneath his feet, tears threatening to slip down his cheeks.

"Connie said I wasn't fit to look after a boiled egg, let alone my own daughter."

The young doctor sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Was this before or after you tried to bury your problems in a whiskey bottle?"

Sam's lip wobbled under Maddy's stern glare for a minute and then her looked up gloomily and gave a wan smile.

"Maddy?"

"Sam?"

"Can I have a hug?"

--

Maddy stirred to the sounds of her TV announcing it was 11pm.

"Ugh! What' beepin'?" Sam grunted, eyes still clamped shut.

Glancing up from her position on his chest Maddy grinned despite herself. "I guess your staying the night."

"Guess so."

Sam opened one eye groggily. "Don't suppose you've got any aspirin?"


	2. Chapter 2

Linden Cullen was not having the best day. Three of his nurse's had failed to turn up to work. He had been attacked by a drunk on his way through the car park… and Maddy was late. Again.

Of course it was all to be made better when Lola rolled up to the nurse's station with thunder on her features.

"Dr Cullen. Would you care to explain why I have a drunk on my ward claiming you're his 'mate' and trying to slash all my saline drips with a pen knife?"

Linden pushed the despairing thoughts about his unreliable junior doctor from his mind, and instead focused on the feisty African woman glowering at him over the large pile of paper work on the desk.

"Lola, as much as I would love to discuss this with you, I'm needed in theatre." Turning his back on her, he began purposefully striding out of the ward.

Lola made a deep growling sound in the back of her throat. _Bloody self-righteous doctors. _

--

Maddy skidded to a halt in front of a stern looking Dr Cullen in scrubs and grinned sheepishly.

"Morning!" She chirped.

"You're late."

"Well actually Sam-"

"I don't want excuses. Go scrub up, Mr Blaton is due for theatre."

"I thought Cardiothoracic were going to discharge him?"

Linden raised a knowing eyebrow. "It appears Connie Beauchamp over looked a minor bleed in the lung. He collapsed in reception."

Linden watched his junior doctor hesitate for a second. "Wouldn't it be better to get someone more experience in to assist?"

He gave a small smile. "Dr Young you are perfectly capable of assisting. Go scrub up. I want you in theatre in five minutes."

Maddy returned his smile and then biting her lip, scurried off to her locker, leaving Linden behind frowning at the pretty doctors retreating back.

--

Meanwhile, on the Darwin ward, three floors below, a slightly puzzled porter stood in front of a small microwave, potato grasped in one hand. Being 20, a 'mummy's boy' and living in his parents attic, the porter was somewhat mystified on how long it took at bake a jacket potato. And so, deciding the best option was to over cook the potato – because after all, how bad can an over cooked potato be? - he split his lunch in half, spread a thick layer of butter inside and gently placed it in a large metal bowl. Then set the microwave for twenty minutes.

Needless to say his home-economics teacher would not have been impressed. Neither would she of been surprised when the microwave exploded, spraying the small staffroom with potato and metal debris, causing every sprinkler in the hospital to hiss into action, dousing staff, patients and equipment with water.

--

"Get everyone outside as quickly and orderly as possible! Assembly yourselves at the fire meeting point." Linden, who was already drenched in water, stood in the middle of his now deserted ward and gave a deep sigh. Valuable equipment lay abandoned on the floor and beds, unable to be used again. Beds soaked through from the sheets to their thin sticky mattresses.

"What a waste." A soft voice behind him murmured vocalising his thoughts. Linden turned round to find Maddy, curls plastered to her cheeks, smiling sadly at him. "Jayne Grayson wants to see you downstairs."

"Did they find what started the fire?"

Maddy grinned. "No fire, just a trigger happy potato."

Linden raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged. "Microwave blew up on Darwin apparently."

--

**Please Please please please please review!!**


	3. Chapter 3

It had all happened quickly

By the time Maddy and Linden made it downstairs, Jayne Grayson already had a large group of staff gathered round her legs, while she wobbled on a table, Ric Griffin's hand clutching hers in an attempt to hold her in place.

"We are sending all patients capable of travelling, to St James, excluding Holby ED which will remain open for all serious incidents that are admitted. "

An excited mumble spread through the crowd and Jayne resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, that does mean that staff on all wards where treatment has been suspended can have the rest of the day off. However," raising her voice to make herself heard above the whispers and cheers of the group, she continued, "I am expecting you all too be present tomorrow morning, in less you hear otherwise. I'm going to give the home office a call and see what they can sort out, whether they can clear up the mess."

Maddy and Linden exchanged a look, while Jayne clambered to the ground and moved towards a disgruntled looking Connie, to see if she wanted to down her sorrows with some company.

"Maddy?" Marc, Donna, Sam, Maria, Dashia and Kyla, all who had been plotting their escape to the nearest pub, advanced on the two doctors.

"We're going for a drink. See if we can do something resourceful with the day after all." Mark waggled his eyebrows at her. "Coming?"

"Erm…Yeah, sure." Maddy turned to Linden with a smile. "You want to come?"

--

It had all happened quickly. Linden had found himself dragged down to the local pub by Maddy. Where he'd been cajoled inside and Sam had clapped him on the back, pushed a pint of chardonnay into his hands while muttering something about robots, alcohol and how they shouldn't mix.

And three hours later, they were all squashed around a small sticky pub table drinking distinctly warm beer.

For Linden it was somewhat strange experience. He never normally kept friends outside work, he found it often made things…tricky. Business and friendship should never mix, that's what life had taught him. But here he was pretending to be listening to Mark rant about something or other, while secretly enjoying watching Maddy blush as he accidentally bumped their knees together.

He knew he shouldn't be enjoying it. Maddy was after all strictly a colleague. And he was uncertain whether the feeling was down to the having two pints of beer, the muggy heat or the fact he had just realised that if you looked really closely at his junior doctor you could make out a light dusting of freckles across her cheeks and nose.

And slowly, Linden Cullen who had never been drunk in his life because of fear of not being in control, slipped into a pleasant haze of intoxication.

**Please review!!**

**XD**

**Hallow **

**x**


	4. Chapter 4

The first thought that occurred to Linden as he stirred from sleep, was that something was not right. For one thing he appeared to be spooning something incredibly warm and soft. And secondly, it felt like someone was trying to knock his brain out of his head with a baseball bat.

Peeling open an eye, he glanced round. The familiar white wash of walls, carpet and various accessories greeted him, and he was flooded with the sense of relief. The sense of relief, which moments later, when he glanced downwards and was meet with the sight of dimples and soft curls, twisted and fluttered in his stomach.

Struggling to pull himself into a sitting position, Linden was at a loss at what to do next. Fragments of the night before drifted into his head. He remembered laughing and drinking. He remembered Maddy falling into his lap because Sam was trying to tickle her. He remembered how she lay there for a second before snuggling into him and burying her face into his shirt.

"_I feel dizzy." She muttered._

"_Me too." He had slurred back, trying to resist the urge to 'ping' her curls. She struggled into a sitting position and gave him a cheeky smile._

"_So Dr Cullen, tell me what really happened between you and Joseph in South Africa?" _

"_What do you mean?" _

_Maddy sighed dramatically. "You know…should we be expecting wedding bells, the tiny pitta patter of mini Linden's and Joseph's? Should we knock before entering supply closest on Darwin?" _

_Linden, suddenly catching on, felt his jaw drop. "Is that what people think? That we're…" _

_Maddy gave a nonchalant shrug. "What did you expect – Dona thought you'd eloped cause' of your faith or something." _

"_No, Nothing happen…I mean Joseph loves Faye." Maddy raised an eyebrow. "Not that I wanted anything to happen. I mean Joseph isn't my type – I mean I'm not gay. Not that I have anything against gays…" He trailed off and eyed Maddy warily, who had slipped off his lap and was giggling hysterically on the floor. _

_Eventually, she sat up and crawled onto the stool next to him. "Maybe you should prove them wrong…" Linden, who had lost track of the conversation because he'd got caught up in watching Maddy laugh, frowned. _

"_Huh?" _

"_Maybe you should prove you're not gay." She fixed him with a sincere look, which made him wonder if she was as drunk as she had made out. _

"_How?" He swallowed nervously as her eyes twinkled mischievously. _

"_Oh, I'm sure we could think of a few ways…"_

Linden, upon decided it was probably best he couldn't remember anything after that, turned his attentions towards his sleeping junior doctor.

"Maddy?"

"Hm…?" Came the muffled reply.

"Do you know where you are?"

Maddy lay still for a few seconds them sat up slowly, groaning. "That's it I'm _never_ drinking again!"

"Right."

She glanced at him. "Nothing happ-…I mean we didn't…?"

"No. I don't think so."

"Good. I'd like to think I'd be a little more memorable." She grinned. "Anyway, seeing as you provided bed, I think it's only fair that I provide breakfast."


	5. Chapter 5

Maddy glanced round with a small smile. "It's awfully quite for a Saturday morning in here isn't it? Do you think it might be a sign?"

Linden raised an eyebrow. "About the catering standards or that the whole town's got a hangover's and are all still in bed?"

They had, after both deciding they couldn't possibly face solid food, agreed on a small café tucked away between a pet shop and a grimy looking 'Tesco's Express'.

"I'll find us a seat." Linden muttered, trying to ignore the spotty teenager behind the counter eyeing him up.

"Okay. Tea, right?" Maddy gave him a quick impish smile and sauntered over to order. Linden watched her with a weary sigh. He liked her. He found himself enjoying her company, laughing at her sarcastic puns. Part of him wanted to be close to her and take there relationship to…the next level. But another side of him, shied away from her, still grieving for Olivia even after three years. There was always the possibility he would be hurt again if he did let himself get close to his SHO, he couldn't go through that again. The pain of losing his daughter and wife had in some sense of the word killed him. They had been arguing at the time, arguing about something stupid and insignificant.

"_You said you'd get some on the way home!" _

"_Well I didn't. I was tried and I didn't think buying bread was particularly important at the time." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. _

"_Keep your eyes on the road!" _

"_Oh for gods sake! Do you want to drive, Olivia! If you weren't berating me about some tiny mistake which has apparently ruined you life-"_

"_Don't blow this out of proportion!" She fumed, interrupting him. Linden readied a smart retort but before he could open his mouth, a motorbike pulled out into the middle of the road and he swerved to avoid it, grating the right side of the car along a bus and burying the driver's side into a lamppost. _

He had gotten over Faye, he could do the same with Maddy.

--

Maddy wobbled over balancing a large steaming tea pot, sugar packets and two mugs. She sat down with a sigh.

"I think you've got an admirer." She nodded to the teen behind the counter and Linden allowed himself a small smile.

"She's not my type."

Maddy looked up with interest before flashing him her trade mark cheeky smile.

"So…any idea what happen last night."

Linden shook his head. "No, only the pub and Sam trying to tickle you with those tooth picks."

Maddy frowned. "Yeah, remind me to get him back for that."

"What about you?" Linden noticed the light flush crawling up his junior doctor's cheeks with a discreet smile.

"Parts of it." She clinked her spoon around her mug before ripping open three sugar packets and pouring them in. "It's probably best you don't remember."

Linden raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"

"Let's just say, your Irish jig could use some work." Her boss groaned, and she sniggered. "Don't worry, you weren't the only talent. Sam and Mark tried their hand at lap dancing…"


	6. Chapter 6

Maddy lent against the nurse station with a tired groan, it had been somewhat of a long day. Jayne had deicide to overlook her 'rule breaking adventure', on the promise that, in future when she wanted to play Samaritan, she consulted herself first. Needless to say Maddy had agreed and sunk out of her office with her tail between her legs.

And now through Linden's office door, she could just make his distorted figure - a figure which only three nights ago had been using her as a human water bottle. Now, however he was refusing to talk to her, instead _rather maturely_ deciding to communicate through Mark, who thankfully was blissfully unaware of his hostility.

Or so she thought. "Maddy?"

_Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. _

"Mark?"

"What's going on between you and Cullen?"

"Nothing."

The senior nurse raised an unbelieving eyebrow. "_Really?_ Because he seems to be going out of his way to avoid you." Her friend shrugged. "Even Sam's noticed and you know how oblivious he normally is to other people."

Maddy sighed. "He's just pissed that I got involved with the Liam Harris case against his orders and effectively saved him his job."

"That's all? Because, Dona saw you arriving together on Monday…"

"Really?" Maddy lent closer, her voice becoming a whisper. "Between you and me, we meet…get this… in the car park. Scandalous I know."

Maddy straightened up quickly and sent him a tight smile. "My shift ended five minutes ago. See you tomorrow."

--

"Dr Young?"

Maddy turned round with a frown, to find Linden hurrying down from his office towards her.

"My shifts just ended. I'm going home."

Linden nodded, suddenly looking slightly nervous. "Right. Well I just want to say-"

"You don't have to say _anything._" Maddy hissed, her anger suddenly bubbling over her calm, cutting him off. "You managed to make your feelings perfectly clear today!"

Linden gave a weary sigh, and gently steered her by her elbow into a more secluded part of the ward. "I'm not sure I know quite what you mean, Dr Young."

Maddy raised an eyebrow. "You've avoided me all day! You didn't even have the decency-"

"_Decency?! _You went against everything I told you! I said not to get involved! Not only did you risk further jeopardising my job, but you risked your's and Mr Stracen's careers. What about the Tan's? – they need me. You almost undid…" Maddy watched dumbfounded, as her boss, who normally shyed away from any sort of passion, continued to rant, falling over his words as they rushed out of his mouth.

Realising they were beginning to draw the attention of the awakening and curious patients around them, Maddy decided the best thing to do, would be to shut him up. So impulsively, she leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips softly to his.

Linden found himself suddenly silenced, he words kissed away by his junior doctor. And before he had a chance to pull away, he found himself responding, moaning quietly in Maddy's mouth, sending shivers through both of them.

"Aw, it's nice to know true love isn't entirely dead, innit' chuck?" Leaning away from each other, they both glanced backwards to find Mrs Glethy, an eight-five year old angina patient exchanging a small smile with Jayne Grayson, chief executive officer.

"Well Dr Young, it's nice to know you didn't go completely un-thanked for all your misguided efforts."

Linden glanced at Maddy, who was biting her lip in an attempt to stop herself laughing, then muttered something about saline drips and scurried off in the opposite direction.

"Dr Cullen – _a word_?"

**Reviews mean love XD**


	7. Chapter 7

The Tan's were to be deported back to china, where the Chinese government would be left to oversee their return to their small village. Linden, after being dismissed by a weary Jayne, shuffled out of his office. He needed junk food, a gin and tonic and three solid days sleep to try and get his head round all that had happen today. Liam Harris, Maddy and Sam, Jayne and the Tan's. People constantly seemed to be complicating his comfortable sidelined life and he wanted back the cool secluded existence he had lead only a couple weeks ago.

"Dr Cullen?" Leaning against the wall his junior doctor met his gaze with a soft sigh. "I'm sorry about…kissing you. I didn't think."

Linden raised a stern eyebrow. "No you didn't." But then felt his himself soften. "But then you never to…It's part of your charm."

"Well I was wondering if you'd let me make it up to you…say diner?"

"Actually, I was just going to get a takeaway."

Maddy looked at him quizzically. "You? Eat unhealthily? Won't it mess with your hard-drive?"

Linden found himself smiling, "Just because I have a fixed routine and like to know what I'm doing doesn't mean I'm a robot…and anyway have the occasional slip of impulse. I kissed you back didn't I?"

His junior doctor grinned impishly. "Are you sure it wasn't just a malfunction…" They began slowly making their way down to reception and Linden fell comfortably into their easy banter.

"No, I'm pretty sure it was human error."

Maddy feigned mock hurt. "Error? I'm shocked and hurt that you would view our…um…" She trailed off, blush raising slightly in her cheeks.

"Well, if I allowed impulse to take over once again…you could buy me that take away, to - what did you say? - make it up to me."

"Alright. Indian, Chinese…erm, Tai or good old British fish and chips?"

Linden grinned. "Indian, I think."

**Sorry for the short chapter….**

**Please tell me what ya thought…XD**


	8. Chapter 8

Linden sat down on Maddy's sofa with a content sigh and forked a spoon of curry into his mouth. He glanced round the small room with a bemused smile – if he could have guessed what Madeline Young's living room would have looked like, this would be it. It was messy although not dirty. There was a large bookshelf which took up nearly all the back wall, complete with a small ladder propped next to it. The furniture was mismatched; the large squashy purple sofa clashing with the worn lime green arm chair nestled in the corner. And the floor was hard wood, the kind of wooden floor boards which gave you splinters if you walked on them without socks.

The owner herself shuffled into the room, balancing her meal and two generous helpings of wine in chipped mugs. Linden sent her a quizzical look and she grinned apologetically. "I smashed my last couple of wine glasses the other day, sorry. Oh, and about the mess…I wasn't expecting company."

"No, it's fine. It's very…you."

Maddy raised an eyebrow. "What? Messy, disorganised and full of dusty old books? Thanks Dr Cullen, you sure know how to woe a girl."

Linden met her gaze sincerely. "I was thinking more along the lines of interesting…messy, disorganised and full of dusty old books."

He broke into a grin and Maddy went to retaliate but was cut off by the door bell.

"Coming!" She called. "Hold on a sec."

Maddy made her way to the door, grumbling about bad timing. She wrenched open the door, readying to turn the caller (expecting it was Sam) away indignantly. Instead, she found her arms full with a weepy Daisha, Mark standing worriedly behind her.

"Sorry to disturb Maddy but…" He lowered his voice so Daisha couldn't hear. "She could do with a woman's…sympathy. Can she stay?"

Maddy made to protest and Mark swiftly cut her off. "It'll only be for one night. Please Maddy?" Reluctantly the SHO agreed, taking a small bag from Mark and leading a snuffling Daisha into the living room.

--

It was hard to say which guest was more surprised. Linden jumped, startled. His eyes rounded and he suddenly looked uncomfortable and at a loss for what to do in the presence of the weepy nurse. Daisha, however, stopped crying altogether, her mouth falling open in surprise and making an involuntary "oh" sound.

"M-Maddy, why is Dr Cullen in your living room?"

"Erm." Maddy looked backwards and forwards between the two. "We were having diner."

"…you're having diner…with Dr Cullen."

"Yes Daisha." Maddy murmured wearily. She suddenly felt very tired. Linden stood up sheepishly, placing his empty mug on the corner of Maddy's coffee table.

"I better go. See you tomorrow Ma-Dr young." He made his way into the hall, lightly brushing past Maddy.

"Daisha…I'll be back in a second." Following her boss out into the hall, the young doctor closed the door of living room behind them.

"Linden, I'm sorry. Don't go."

"It's fine. It's getting late anyway." He swallowed and gathered his courage. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

Maddy grinned at him. "Nothing."

"Would you like to go for diner? No where special….just diner."

"'Just diner' sounds great. You can pick me up at seven." Sending a glanced towards the door, Maddy took a step closer, her lips hovering just out of touching distance to his. "Thanks for coming," she murmured. Linden just smiled, bringing a hand up to her cheek and rubbing the pad of his thumb along her jaw-line. Slowly Maddy closed the gap, pressing their lips together; Linden felt his knee's go weak beneath him and groaning he pulled away.

"Tomorrow," he muttered. He made for the door, but turned unexpectedly. "Maddy?"

"Yeah?"

Linden found himself speaking before he could stop himself. "Thanks for tonight. I haven't felt this way…for a long time."

Maddy looked a little lost for words and he groaned inwardly. He shouldn't have said that. It was stupid and impulsive. But then he seemed to be acting on impulse a lot recently. No good would come of it. Impulsiveness meant vulnerability, and that was bad, very bad, it only ever lead to hurt and anger.

His junior doctor moved towards him again, leaning up on the tiptoes. "Stay." She smiled. "I'll get rid of Daisha. Stay."

Linden grinned. Maybe impulsiveness wasn't so bad after all…?

_Sorry if I'm making Linden to…whimful (if that's __a word).Oh, and sorry about Maddy "getting rid" of Daisha, but I needed a way of ending the evening and making Linden go home…or stay XD _

_Thanks'__ to Chloe, Woody, Chrissi and Blackness for all their reviews. Love and virtual cookies to you all._

_I think there's__ only one chapter left…maybe two, but I'm waiting for inspiration from Holby but their ignoring Maddy and Linden's only worried about the Tans – ugh getting really bored with that storyline. _

_As always: Reviews mean love._

_Hallow_

_X _


	9. Chapter 9

Maddy stared at the closed door for a long time. _To get rid of Daisha… _she needed a plan, the weepy nurse looked only a couple of cuts off suicide, no pun indented. Slowly, she turned back to the living room. Maybe she should just call Mark; I mean he was the one who'd duped her into this bloody situation in the first place.

Okay, maybe that wasn't _strictly_ true. After all he wasn't the one planning on showing Dr Cullen just how fun living in sin could be…Sniggering at the thought Maddy made her way into the kitchen, filling the sink brimful with soppy hot water.

So Mark was a no go. And besides he had looked terrified when he had handed Daisha over…

No, what she really needed was somewhere where Daisha would have a motherly shoulder to cry on.

Motherly. Who was motherly?

Maddy was pretty sure she didn't know anyone who was motherly. She knew mothers.

Which was different, very different. Like that time Hannah had tried to get Sunny to…

_Focus Maddy._

Maybe she should try a different tack. Okay, who _wasn't _motherly?

Connie Beauchamp.

_Good. _Right, who's the opposite of Connie?

Eliot. Maddy snorted at the thought, throwing another couple of dirty pots in the water.

Try again….

…Kyla.

Kyla! Perfect.

--

Sam, Mark, Daisha and Kyla stood in a small cluster around AAU's nurse station.

"You're serious?"

"Course."

"Are you sure – you didn't misunderstand… Just Cullen and Maddy?"

Daisha sighed. "I know what I heard."

Sam grinned, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "It's defiantly true. Have you seen her? She's been walking round on cloud nine all day…Anyway, I reckon I could get her to 'fess up – after all, I'm her best friend, meaning I'm entitled to a few …privileges."

Kyla snorted. "Is that what people are calling it now a days? Well I've got to go…Lola's on a war path today. And if I don't get down to Darwin…" Kyla shuddered. "I don't even want to think about what her late great Grandma will say."

Mark nodded. "Right, then we'll re-convene here…say 1500 hours, and dish out our findings."

The small group, mumbling in agreement headed back to their respective wards.

--

Sorry thats its such a short chapter and that I haven't updated in AGES!

But please review... x


	10. Chapter 10

_19 hours ago…_

Linden shifted from one foot to the other, clutching a bottle of wine to his chest. He wasn't sure whether to bring something…flowers maybe. He had stood in the garage for ages while the cashier eyed him wearily, fretting over what to bring and whether chocolates would seem to forward.

But when Maddy open the door, her hair falling in perfect ringlets round her chin and a soft glowing smile in place, he knew it wouldn't matter.

"Sorry about Daisha." She gave an apologetic shrug of her shoulders and Linden grinned.

"Where did you ship her off to?"

"I didn't _ship_ her anywhere." She sent him a mock glare and Linden raised an unbelieving eyebrow. "Kyla's – she much better at that kind of thing anyway."

They quickly fell into easy conversation, cracking into the wine and curling up into the sofa.

------

Linden was vaguely aware that Maddy was inching slowly closer, and grinned when he felt her side press against his.

"Do you reckon this will change things?" She muttered. "At work I mean…"

Linden shook his head. "Not if we don't let it."

Maddy pressed her lips together and hummed. "You know we all had you down for a stiff."

Linden choked slightly on the mouthful of wine he was swallowing. "What?"

"Well you know, we thought you were a bit up yourself when you first arrived." She said conversationally. "You barked orders about and seemed so self righteous. But you're not like that at all…" She trailed off, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"And here was me thinking you just had a 'thing' for self righteous men. You know I hear Mr Spence is available."

"Oh, really?" Maddy sniggered. She pushed him backwards onto the sofa and quickly straddled him. "Then again I think I'll stick to AAU, I've heard there's a cute, self righteous consultant up there looking for an SHO."

Linden grinned and leaned upwards to press a kiss to her lips. "Funny, I thought he'd already found her…"

---------

The End.

Sorry it took me so long to update…and I'm sorry this is so short. I've had writers block I think XD

Has anyone noticed they've been dropping causal Maddy/Linden hints into everything? And last night episode when he squeezed her arm. Squeeee!

Anyway, thanks for reviewing and reading everyone,

Hallow

x


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